Container transporting vehicle

ABSTRACT

A vehicle for transporting a walled container which contains a movable platen therein. The vehicle is provided with means for moving the container relative to the vehicle, while carried thereon, to unload material from the container. The vehicle includes means for holding the platen in one position while the container is moved on the vehicle relative to the platen to assist in the unloading of the container.

United States Patent Richler Max M. 1 Mar. 14, 1972 [54] CONTAINERTRANSPORTING [56] References Cited VEHICLE UNITED STATES PATENTS 1Inventor: Richler Max Laurent, Quebec 2,826,321 3/1958 Nelson ..2|4/s10Canada 3,138,185 6/1964 Fredrick ..2l4/5l0 X [73] Assignee: Atlas Hoist& Body Incorporated, Mon- Primary ExaminerAlbertJ.Makay treal, Quebec,Canada Att0rneyAlan Swabey 22 Filed: Feb. 18, 1970 [571 ABSTRACT Avehicle for transporting a walled container which contains a [21] Appl'NO: 12,176 movable platen therein. The vehicle is provided with meansfor moving the container relative to the vehicle, while carned thereon,to unload material from the container. The vehicle includes means forholding the platen in one position while the [52] U.S.Cl "214/510,298/14, 214/82 container is moved on the vehicle relative to the platento [51] Int. Cl ..B60p 1/28 assist i the unloading f the container [58]Field ofSearch ..2l4/83.3, 503,501,510, 82;

298/14, 16, l B 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDM'AR 14 m2 SHEET 1,BF 2 INVENTOR Max M. RICHLER A TTORNEY PATENTEDMAR 14 I972 SHEET 2 [1F 2INVENTOR Max M. RICHLER A 1TORNEY f CONTAINER TRANSPORTING VEHICLEBACKGROUND OF INVENTION l. Field of Invention This invention relates toa vehicle and a container carried thereby.

More particularly, the invention relates to a vehicle used to transporta container of the type which can be loaded with material, such asrefuse, at one location, transported to a disposal location by thevehicle where the material is dumped from the container while still onthe vehicle, and returned to the loading location by the vehicle.

2. Description of Prior Art Vehicles for transporting containers,particularly refuse containers, are well known as are the containers.The vehicles usually have a tilt frame for receiving and supporting thecontainer and means for moving the container onto the tilt frame. Therefuse containers are packed tightly with refuse at a loading station bya separate, non-transportable packing unit, placed on the vehicle andtransported to a dumping station. However, it is sometimes difficult todump or unload the packed refuse from the container at the disposal siteby tilting the container on the vehicle, particularly when the refuse iswet and freezes to the walls of the container.

To make it easier to unload the refuse, containers have been built witha pusher or platen which is integral and transportable with thecontainer. The platen is used to unload the refuse from the container,while on the vehicle, at the disposal location and can also be used topack refuse into the container at the loading location. A refusecontainer with an integral platen of this type is shown in US. Pat. No.3,071,264, issued Jan. 1, 1963, T. C. Totaro et al., inventors, forexample.

However, this type of container is expensive since a platen and themeans for moving the platen must be provided with each container.Generally, the platen moving means comprises a hydraulic or pneumaticcylinder and piston arrangement mounted on the container which is anexpensive piece of equipment.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvementover the existing vehicle and container system which is much simpler andinexpensive in construction and operation. The improvement comprisesusing a platen in each container for dumping material, together withmeans mounted on the transport vehicle, rather than on or in thecontainer, to have the container move relative to the platen whendumping. A separate packer can be provided at the loading location topack the material in the container. The means on the vehicle for havingthe container move relative to the platen can be used with eachcontainer. Separate means for moving the platen thus need not beprovided for each container, which thereby reduces the expense of theoverall system.

The invention is particularly directed toward a vehicle for transportinga walled container having a movable platen mounted within the containeradjacent one container end wall and a loading or unloading opening inthe container opposite the one end wall. The vehicle includes tiltablemeans for supporting the container in a first loaded position and meansfor controlling movement of the container along the support means, whentilted, from the first position to a second position. The vehicle alsoincludes rigid means mounted on the support means and passing through anaperture in a wall of the container, with the container in the secondposition, to hold the platen in the second position while the containeris moved by the movement-controlling means back along the support meansto the first position to have the platen push refuse toward the openingin the container.

The invention further relates to a method for unloading a container. Themethod comprises the steps of supporting a container packed with refuseor other material on a tiltable support means carried by a vehicle in afirst position. The support means is tilted and the container is movedfrom the first position to a second position relative to the supportmeans. The container is then moved from the second position back towardthe first position while means, cooperating with the support means, holda platen, initially located adjacent one end wall of the container inthe second position to cause movement of the container relative to theplaten.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Thevehicle 1, as shown in FIGS. I and 2, has a chassis 3, a

cab 5 on the front end of the chassis and wheels 7. Support means aremounted on the chassis at the rear of the cab. The support meanspreferably is tiltably mounted and comprises a frame 9 consisting of twosupport beams 11 and cross members I3 joining the beams together. Thebeams 11 rest on the.

chassis beams 15 of the vehicle. The rear end of the frame 9 ispivotably connected to brackets 17 mounted on chassis beams 15. Pins 21pass through apertures in the brackets 17 and the support beams 11 offrame 9. The opposite or front end of the frame 9, adjacent to the cabS, is connected to the chassis by a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 23.As more clearly shown in 5 FIG. 1, the cylinder 23 is pivotably mountedfrom one end by a bracket 24 on a cross beam 26 extending betweenchassis beams 15. The cylinder 23 has a piston rod 25 extendingtherefrom, which is connected, through a pin 27 and brackets 29, to across member 31 extending between the support beams 11 of the tiltableframe 9. Operation of the cylinder 23 raises or lowers the front end ofthe frame 9 about the pivot pins 2] connecting the rear end of the frame9 to the chassis 3.

A transportable refuse container 33 is provided comprising end walls 35,37, side walls 39, top and bottom walls 4], 43. The rear end wall 35 canbe connected to the top wall 4] along one edge 45 by hinges 47permitting the end wall 35 to swing out and open the container. Lockingmeans 49 are provided on the side wall of the container, cooperatingwith a latch pin 50, for normally keeping the end wall 35 closed.

A platen 51 is mounted in the container 33 adjacent front end wall 37.The platen 51 preferably has an area just smaller than thecross-sectional area of the container. The platen can comprise a plate53 which is reinforced by bars 54. Rollers 55, mounted on the sides ofthe platen 51, fit in tracks 57, the tracks being mounted at the top andbottom of each side wall 39 of the container adjacent front end wall 37.The rollers permit the platen 51 to slide back and forth within thecontainer for a limited distance from the end wall 37. Stops 56 can beprovided in the tracks for limiting movement of the platen. The platen51 remains substantially parallel to the end wall 37 of the container atall times. Other suitable mounting means for the platen can be providedpermitting its limited movement with respect to the container.

The container 33 is left at a loading site, such as for example, arestaurant or a hotel, and refuse is packed into the container throughthe end of the container, when end wall 35 is open, by a packing means(not shown) located on the site. Any well-known packing means can beused.

When the container 33 has been filled with refuse or other material, itis ready to be transported by the vehicle 1 to a disposal site forunloading. When filled, the platen SI is located in a first positionadjacent the end wall 37 of the container. The filled container 33 isthen loaded onto the vehicle 1 to rest on the frame 9. Preferably, inloading the container,

the front end of the frame 9 is lifted with the frame pivoting aboutpins 21 by the operation of cylinder 23. The front end of the containeris then positioned onto the back end of the frame 9. A bracket 59 isprovided on the front wall 37 of the container to which one end of acable 61 is attached. The cable 61 is connected to a winch 65 mounted ona cross-plate 64 at the front end of the frame 9. The winch 65 isoperated to wind up the cable 61, thus drawing the container onto thesupport means. The container preferably has support rails 67 attached toits floor 43 which cooperate with the support beams 11 of the frame 9 toguide the container as it is drawn up on the frame. The container isdrawn up to rest completely onto the frame until it abuts stops 71 onthe frame. Means (not shown) are operated to lock the container in thisfirst loaded position on the frame. The frame 9, and thus the container,is then lowered by the cylinder 23 to a horizontal position to rest onchassis 3, as shown in FIG. 3a, and the vehicle is driven to theunloading site.

At the unloading site the frame 9 is again tilted relative to thechassis, thus tilting the container, as shown in FIG. 3a. The rear endwall 35 on the container is opened to permit the material to be movedout of the container. The winch 65 is then operated to unwind the cable61 connected to the container to allow the container to move, under itsown weight, relative to the frame 9, away from the first position at thestops 71 for a short distance to a second position along the frame, asshown in FIG. 30.

In this second position rigid means, provided on the frame 9, areoperated to contact the platen 51, located adjacent end wall 37, to holdit in this second position. These rigid means can comprise a pneumaticor hydraulic cylinder 72 and piston rod 73 mounted on a plate 74, whichin turn is mounted on a support frame 75 mounted in turn on the crossplate 64 on the end of the frame 9 adjacent the cab. The piston rod 73extends through an aperture 77 in the end wall 37 of the container. Withthe container and the platen in the first position, the rod 73 is in aretracted position. When the container and platen are moved to thesecond position, the cylinder 72 is actuated to extend the rod 73 toabut against the platen. The container 33 is then moved by winch 65 andcable 61 along the frame 9 in the reverse direction back toward thestops 71 to move from its second position to its first position, asshown in FIG. 311. However, the platen 51 is prevented from moving withthe container back to the first position by the piston rod 73. Thecontainer, therefore, is moved relative to the platen through thecooperating rollers 55 and tracks 57 for a short distance moving endwall 37 away from the platen. This relative movement provides a positiveforce tending to break away any frozen material from the walls of thecontainer, thus loosening the bulk of the material so that it will thenslide under its own weight the remaining distance out of the containerthrough the open end to empty it.

When the container is emptied, the piston rod 73 can then be retractedby operation of cylinder72 and the frame 9 is lowered back onto chassis3. The empty container can then be driven back to the loading site andremoved from the vehicle, the platen 51 being now free to be moved backadjacent end wall 37 of the container.

The hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 23 and 72 can be controlled andoperated by known means carried on the chassis 3 or cab of the vehicle.

While the means for locking the platen in the second position has beenshown as a single piston and cylinder arrangement, two or more pistonand cylinder arrangements could be used acting simultaneously.Alternatively, the locking means could comprise one or more rigid pinsconnectable to the support means and passing through one or moreelongated slots formed in the floor of the container to rest adjacentthe face of the platen nearest the cab. The pins are inserted throughthe slots when the container and platen are in the second position andprevent the platen from returning to the first position when thecontainer is moved from the second position to the first position.

The winch 65 has been shown mounted on the tiltable frame 9. It could,alternatively, be mounted on chassis 3 with the cable 61 passing up overa pulley mounted on the front edge of frame 9.

[Claims 1. A vehicle for use with:

a walled container having a movable piston mounted within the containeradjacent one wall of the container and an opening in the containeropposite said one wall;

the vehicle including a chassis;

a cab;

frame means on the chassis for receiving and supporting the container ina first position with said one wall adjacent the cab;

means on said vehicle adjacent the cab for controlling movement of saidcontainer along said frame means from said first position to a secondposition spaced from the cab; and

rigid means, mounted on the frame means for passing through a wall ofthe container when the container is moved to the second position tomaintain the platen in the second position while said container is movedby said movement controlling means back toward said first position,whereby said one wall moves away from the platen.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 including means for raising one endof the frame means relative to the chassis, the other end of the framemeans pivotably connected to the chassrs.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for controllingmovement of said container along said support means comprises:

a winch mounted on the frame means; and

a cable attached at one end to the winch and at the other end to thecontainer on or adjacent said one wall.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rigid means comprise:

a support mounted on the end of the frame means adjacent the cab;

a rod; and

means on the support for moving the rod away from the cab to abut theplaten within the container through an aperture in said one wall of thecontainer when the container is moved by the movement controlling meansfrom the first position adjacent the cab to the second position.

5. A disposal system including, in combination:

a walled, transportable material container;

a movable platen mounted within the container adjacent one end wall;

an opening in the container opposite the one end wall;

a vehicle including a chassis and a cab;

frame means on the chassis for receiving and supporting the containerwith the one end wall located adjacent the cab;

means on the chassis for controlling the movement of the container alongthe frame means from a first position adjacent the cab to a secondposition spaced from the cab; and

rigid means on the frame means passing through an aperture in the wallof the container to hold the platen in the second position while thecontainer is moved back toward the first position.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5 including means for raising one endof the frame means relative to the chassis, the other end of the framemeans pivotably connected to the chassis.

1. A vehicle for use with: a walled container having a movable platen mounted within the container adjacent one wall of the container and an opening in the container opposite said one wall; the vehicle including a chassis; a cab; frame means on the chassis for receiving and supporting the container in a first position with said one wall adjacent the cab; means on said vehicle adjacent the cab for controlling movement of said container along said frame means from said first position to a second position spaced from the cab; and rigid means mounted on the frame means for passing through a wall of the container when the container is moved to the second position to maintain the platen in the second position while said container is moved by said movement controlling means back toward said first position, whereby said one wall moves away from the platen.
 2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 including means for raising one end of the frame means relative to the chassis, the other end of the frame means pivotably connected to the chassis.
 3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for controlling movement of said container along said support means comprises: a winch mounted on the frame means; and a cable attached at one end to the winch and at the other end to the container on or adjacent said one wall.
 4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rigid means comprise: a support mounted on the end of the frame means adjacent the cab; a rod; and means on the support for moving the rod away from the cab to abut the platen within the container through an aperture in said one wall of the container when the container is moved by the movement controlling means from the first position adjacent the cab to the second position.
 5. A disposal system including, in combination: a walled, transportable material container; a movable platen mounted within the container adjacent one end wall; an opening in the container opposite the one end wall; a vehicle including a chassis and a cab; frame means on the chassis for receiving and supporting the container with the one end wall located adjacent the cab; means on the chassis for controlling the movement of the container along the frame means from a first position adjacent the cab to a second position spaced from the cab; and rigid means on the frame means passing through an aperture in the wall of the container to hold the platen in the second position while the container is movEd back toward the first position.
 6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5 including means for raising one end of the frame means relative to the chassis, the other end of the frame means pivotably connected to the chassis. 